The British Isles restoration referendum

[toolazytosearchitmyself]

We are going to turn back time and restore Britain to how it was in the Anglo-Saxon age in the 700's. England will become the four independent countries Wessex, Mercia, East Anglia and Northumbria. Scotland will be divided between the independent countries Alba and Strathclyde. Wales will be given their independence and Offa's Dyke will mark their national border. Northern Ireland will be returned to Ireland and Dublin will become a city-state administered by Norway.

 

[x65943]

First of all, no such thing as the "British isles" there is the isle of Britain and the isle of Ireland (and various other islands)

Let's start calling all the Caribbean islands the "Cubish isles" /s

Second of all, why go back to post German tribal invasion? Let's go back to Celtic North Atlantic archipelago pre Roman invasion

 

[FAST6191]

First of all, no such thing as the "British isles" there is the isle of Britain and the isle of Ireland (and various other islands)

As a direct term it is getting up towards 500 years (pre union with Scotland at this point) and variations on the theme seem to be in Greek and Roman works as seeming loan words of native terms (granted that would be before even the heptarchy so who knows). As much as anybody understands any distinction between the various entities on the islands it would get you a nice circle around them as well for a map.
The government of the Republic of Ireland does its usual sport of "we're not British/English" as it pertains to the term but eh that is a worry for diplomats more than the everyday man on the street.


As for the premise of the thread I would be interested in seeing the results in terms of what teams back up and what the economic fallout would be.

 

[x65943]

As a direct term it is getting up towards 500 years (pre union with Scotland at this point) and variations on the theme seem to be in Greek and Roman works as seeming loan words of native terms (granted that would be before even the heptarchy so who knows). As much as anybody understands any distinction between the various entities on the islands it would get you a nice circle around them as well for a map.
The government of the Republic of Ireland does its usual sport of "we're not British/English" as it pertains to the term but eh that is a worry for diplomats more than the everyday man on the street.


As for the premise of the thread I would be interested in seeing the results in terms of what teams back up and what the economic fallout would be.

Describing the two islands as British isles instead of Ireland and Britain is not saving much time and a carryover from imperialist times

The term has been used in English for 500 years and colonial domination has been going on 800+

 

[FAST6191]

Describing the two islands as British isles instead of Ireland and Britain is not saving much time and a carryover from imperialist times

The term has been used in English for 500 years and colonial domination has been going on 800+

You say that like it is bad thing/Not seeing the downside.

 

[x65943]

You say that like it is bad thing/Not seeing the downside.

I agree so let's start calling them the Irish isles

 

[Veho]

First of all, no such thing as the "British isles" there is the isle of Britain and the isle of Ireland (and various other islands)

I think the collective name, geographically at least*, came about by taking the largest landmass and just bundling the smaller bits under the same heading, but that's just convention. You could pick any of the islands in the archipelago and call the whole thing after it. Let's call the whole thing the Mannish Isles.


*While the name does get used to reinforce the idea of England's rule over everything, it's still a geographical term; the Falklands aren't called "British isles" even though they are still under their thumb

 

[x65943]

I think the collective name, geographically at least*, came about by taking the largest landmass and just bundling the smaller bits under the same heading, but that's just convention. You could pick any of the islands in the archipelago and call the whole thing after it. Let's call the whole thing the Mannish Isles.


*While the name does get used to reinforce the idea of England's rule over everything, it's still a geographical term; the Falklands aren't called "British isles" even though they are still under their thumb

It's a grouping used to describe two islands and one of the island's inhabitants reject the term (so 1/2)

As fast pointed out the term only began to be used in English 500 years ago some 300 years into British colonization/domination of Ireland

I think it's fair to accept the colonial era ended and use a neutral term - or you know just say Britain and Ireland

 

[FAST6191]

This seems like one of those pointless changes done for ultimately no good reason.

 

[Veho]

It's a grouping used to describe two islands and one of the island's inhabitants reject the term (so 1/2)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isles_naming_dispute

The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, and over six thousand smaller islands.

Politically, it's used to refer to Ireland and Great Britain (with the implied message that anything with "British" in its name belongs to the United Kingdom, so of course there's a push to drop that nomenclature). But geographically it's just the group name for the bunch of rocks off the coast of France.

I really should start using some different fonts or spelling to show when I'm being facetious.

I think it's fair to accept the colonial era ended and use a neutral term - or you know just say Britain and Ireland

I agree that we need a new name for the geopolitical area.

 

[x65943]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isles_naming_dispute

The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, and over six thousand smaller islands.

Politically, it's used to refer to Ireland and Great Britain (with the implied message that anything with "British" in its name belongs to the United Kingdom, so of course there's a push to drop that nomenclature). But geographically it's just the group name for the bunch of rocks off the coast of France.

I really should start using some different fonts or spelling to show when I'm being facetious.

In every day speech it means UK and Ireland and it's part of the reason lots of people still think ROI is part of the UK (even including Yookers)

 

[Veho]

In every day speech it means UK and Ireland and it's part of the reason lots of people still think ROI is part of the UK (even including Yookers)

I should start using disclaimers when I'm being facetious or overly pedantic for a joke, like "even more technically, whales are fish".